Eternally Yours
by Mistress Camillia
Summary: Haruko is a female ninja who is good friends with her squad members. However, her mother doesn't approve of these bonds and therefore forces a seperation between Haruko and the people she loves. THis actually has no real Naruto characters in in... .
1. Chapter 1

The cart moved slowly down the road. The sky, cloaked in darkness, shone with bright stars. The full moon allowed her to see better than the darkness had. Her long, dark brown hair fell around her ivory face. Her eyes were red, puffy, and still filled with tears. She wiped them as she looked up to the stars; her eyes shone a bright blue.

"Onegai, Kamisama… Don't let it end like this…" she whispered to the heavens above.

In her small hands, she held a picture. She gazed at it once more. There were four people: two boys around her age, her, and an older man. One boy had raven hair and brown eyes; the other boy was silver-haired with yellow eyes. Both were about her height. The man, who had been their sensei, was taller than all three of them. His hair fell to his shoulders, silver in color. His eyes, covered by glasses, were a gentle blue. All of them were dressed in simple shinobi attire. In addition, sitting on her lap was a small, black kitten. She put her finger on the raven-haired boy and cried harder. As much as she would have loved to forget them, she couldn't. She allowed her tears to fall on her red, silk, Chinese dress. Today, she looked like a normal girl, not a shinobi. Today, she would start a new life in a new village.

"Kai-kun…Rai-kun…Tanaka-sensei... Save me from this nightmare…"

**Haruko-chan Presents:**

"**Eternally Yours, Haruko"**

**A "Team Yamamaya" Story**

_The sky was cloudless, perfect weather for training. Deep within the forest of Konohagakure, the hidden village of the leaf, four people sat under the tall trees. Three of them were children, the other was an adult._

"_Nee, Tanaka-sensei? Kai-baka won't stop being mean to me! He tried to throw dirt in my bento!" the girl whined._

"_Kaizen, why must you continue to bother Haruko? She's only been nice to you. You need to get along!" their teacher commanded._

_The raven-haired boy just sat cross-legged with his arms folded. The silver-haired boy beside him glared._

"_Kai, he's right. Be nice to Haruko-chan, she's new to the cell," the silver-haired boy said._

"_Rai, she's always mean to me! She calls me 'Kai-baka' for god's sake! Why are you on her side?" Kaizen asked angrily._

"_Because Haruko-chan is our angel. She's only poking fun at you," Tanaka-sensei replied._

_Kaizen stood up; his expression was angry._

"_I understand. I'm not wanted here," he said before walking off._

"_Oi, Kaizen!" Raisuke yelled._

_Haruko stood up and ran after him. She grabbed his hand._

"_Kaizen…" she said worriedly._

_He turned to face her; her eyes already began to water. He sighed and gave in._

"_Okay, I'm sorry! I'll stay, okay? Will that make you happy?" he asked._

_Haruko smiled and nodded. They both came back to sit down._

"_That was so cute! But, it was mean to make Haruko cry, Kaizen," Tanaka-sensei said._

"_I came back, didn't I? She's not crying so stop sticking up for her!" he yelled back._

_Haruko looked down; she didn't dare speak for fear her mouth would betray her. Raisuke hugged her._

"_It's alright, Haruko-chan. Don't worry about Kaizen, he's just warming up to you, that's all…" he said._

"_He really hates me doesn't he? What did I do? Do I remind him of someone bad?" she asked Raisuke._

_Kaizen looked at her and then looked away. She did remind him of his mother. He missed her a bit, since both of his parents were deceased. It always made him feel a bit sad, but he wasn't one to show his true feelings._

"_He doesn't hate you, I promise." Raisuke assured her._

"_I don't know…" Haruko replied softly._

"_I put my life on it."_

"_Do you have a death wish, Raisuke-san?"_

"_Eh? You really think he hates you that much?"_

_Haruko nodded._

"_Oi, Kai! Tell her you don't hate her!" Raisuke yelled._

"_But then, wouldn't that be lying?" Kaizen asked._

_Haruko and Raisuke looked at him with wide eyes. They were speechless._

"_I was kidding…I don't hate you, Haruko-chan," he said._

"_That wasn't funny, Kai-chan," Tanaka-sensei said seriously._

"_How can you call me 'Kai-chan' with a straight face?" Kaizen asked._

"_I'm talented."_

"_I'm creeped out."_

"_But, you're so cute, Kaizen! Right, Haru-chan?" Tanaka-sensei asked._

_Haruko pointed to herself as Tanaka-sensei and Kaizen looked at her, waiting for her reply._

"_Ahh! Well…I…umm…err… Oh, look at the time! The sun is setting so I must take my leave!" Haruko replied frantically._

_She stood up, bowed, and ran off._

"_Ah, Haruko-chan! Matte!" Tanaka-sensei yelled._

_She stopped and turned around._

"_Ee?" she asked._

"_We'll be at your house at seven in the morning! Be ready!" he yelled._

"_Haiii! Jya minnasan!" she replied before running home._

"Haruko, we're here. Are you still crying? Snap out of it, child! You've never cried when we've moved before, why start now?" a voice said.

Haruko slowly moved out of the cart.

"Hai, okaasan," she replied quietly.

She examined the house; they were all beginning to look alike. She walked inside and quickly ran to her room; she had an idea of where it would be, and there it was. Most of her things were already there including her bed. She flopped onto it, enjoying the softness and warmth. She reached under her pillow, laying the slightly crumpled picture there.

"Kaizen, what are you doing without me?" she whispered, gazing out her window at the moon.

She must have been tired; she could already see illusions of her dark-haired friend smiling at her and holding out his hand. She reached for it, wishing he were really there. Soon after, sleep took hold of her. He invaded her dreams as well. She couldn't get him out of her head. The next morning came; she was expecting her sensei to be there to wake her up, but of course, he never came. She took a shower, got dressed, and gazed out her new window as she brushed her hair. Another Chinese dress, only this one was blue. She watched as the children played happily; how she wished she could be just as happy back with Kaizen, Raisuke, Kuro, and Tanaka-sensei.

"_Haruko-chan, wake up," a voice said._

_Haruko slowly opened her eyes. She squinted as she saw the bright sun._

"_Otousan?" she asked sleepily._

"_No, try again."_

"_Niisama?"_

"_I'll give you one more chance, Haruko-chan."_

_Haruko sat up and opened her eyes. She saw her sensei smiling over her. Her eyes widened as she pulled the covers over her. His smile was scary._

"_Tanaka-sensei, why are you in my room? Why are you in my house?" she asked frantically._

"_Wake up call. I knew you wouldn't be ready by seven, so I came at six thirty," Tanaka-sensei replied. "Now come on, you must change. You have to graduate today, right?"_

"_How did you know?" Haruko asked, taking the blankets off her head._

"_It's on your calendar. Now, I'll leave you alone to change."_

_He left suddenly, closing the door behind him. Haruko sat in front of her mirror, brushing her hair. Quickly, she dressed herself in a fishnet shirt, followed by black shorts and a short, blue kimono dress with a big bow in the back. She braided her hair and slipped on her shoes._

"_Tanaka-sensei, I'm ready!" she yelled as she walked out the door to her room._

"_I'm outside, Haru-chan!" he yelled back._

_She ran outside to look for him. He sat on her roof, looking towards the horizon._

"_Any second now, the rest will be here…" he thought._

_Soon, Haruko could see two figures speeding towards them._

"_I'm going to win today, Raisuke!" Kaizen yelled; he was ahead by a little._

"_Not if I have anything to say about it!" Raisuke yelled back as he sped up._

_The two boys suddenly ran past Haruko; making her fall to her knees. Any closer to her, they would have slammed her into the wall of her house._

"_Never race against a hyper Kaizen. He always wins…" Raisuke panted._

_Kaizen smiled and gave the thumbs up to Tanaka-sensei, who tried to help Haruko stand._

"_They both hate meee!" she cried. "They were trying to kill me!"_

"_It's alright, Haruko-chan! Raisuke doesn't hate you. He missed you on purpose because he would never hurt you!" Tanaka-sensei replied._

_Haruko looked to Raisuke with a tear-streaked face. _

"_He's right," Raisuke replied with a smile._

"_Oi! What about me?" Kaizen asked._

"_Anata wa baaaka desu!" Haruko yelled as she stood up._

_Raisuke followed Haruko and Tanaka-sensei as they headed to the school, leaving Kaizen behind._

"_Oioioi! Wait for me guys!" he yelled, running after them._

The field behind her house was more peaceful than her room. She picked flowers and played with them like a child. Her feelings of uneasiness and worry were gone. Maybe it had something to do with the talk she had with her mother. She could only remember saying a few things to her before falling asleep. When she woke up, she couldn't remember what she was crying about. Her mind told her to go outside and pick flowers, and so she did. A memory tried to break through her happy thoughts, a memory of two boys and a cat. Their faces were blurry and still getting blurrier. Their mouths moved, but no sound came out. However, it didn't bother her, not one bit. She continued to play without a care in the world.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Haruko came outside sadly. She looked as if she would cry any second._

"_Haruko-chan, what's wrong? Did you graduate?" Raisuke asked._

_Haruko was silent. She looked down to her feet._

"_I…I…am now an official female ninja!" she replied excitedly._

_She pulled out her Konoha hitai-ate and smiled._

"_Good job, Haruko-chan!" Tanaka-sensei smiled._

"_Yea, good job," Raisuke smiled also. "Hey Kaizen, aren't you going to congratulate her, too?"_

"_Yea…yea whatever…" Kaizen replied._

_Haruko walked up to him smiling. Kaizen blinked, as she got closer to him as if she would hug him. Instead, she hit his head._

"_Kai-baka! I hate you!" she yelled, kicking him._

"_Ouch! Stop it, will ya?!" he yelled._

"_Now you two should play nicely. Haruko, don't hurt him too much; he doesn't mean any harm…" Tanaka-sensei suddenly picked up Haruko gently._

_She kicked and screamed like a little girl until he put her down._

"_I hate you! I never want to see you again!" she cried as she ran off._

"_Kaizen, I think you should apologize," Tanaka-sensei said._

"_I wasn't trying to be mean! She just made it seem that way!" Kaizen yelled before running off to find her._

"_Tanaka-sensei, just once, I'd like to see him fit in with the others… But, it never happens…he's just too different," Raisuke sighed._

"_That's why we have Haruko. She's going change him, you'll see. I know these things," Tanaka-sensei replied._

"_Do you really believe that?"_

"_It may take a while, but you'll see. He needs Haruko-chan."_

_Haruko sat under one of the many trees in Konoha. She couldn't stop her tears from falling any longer._

"_He's just like the others! They're all the same!" she cried._

_Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice. Kaizen walked down the street, kicking rocks. A tear fell down his left cheek slowly._

"_I'm a wreck!" he yelled._

"_What's he doing here?" she thought._

_"I might as well disappear for all gods' sakes. Then Haruko won't even be in this situation, so as Raisuke. I can't believe he actually took me in. For all I've done, he still stands by me." more tears streamed down his face as he yelled into the empty streets. _

_"Fine, I'll disappear." and with that he ran off in the direction of the forest._

_Haruko still hid herself as she watched him run. She couldn't believe her ears; the guilt began to weigh down on her._

"_No, I mustn't allow him to do this!" her mind screamed._

_Her feet began to lead her to him. She ran as fast as she could; she couldn't stop if she wanted to._

"_Kaizen, stop please!" she thought._

_The words were trapped in her throat. She couldn't speak; she continued to follow him as he set off traps in the woods; even with his arm scratched and his shirt torn, he continued to his destination._

"_Tanaka-sensei, I just don't know what to do with him. He's more emotional now than ever," Raisuke said._

"_He's maturing, Raisuke. You shouldn't worry. I know what I'm doing; you must trust me," Tanaka-sensei replied._

"_I don't know if I should…" Raisuke mumbled._

"_You two are going to make me old…" Tanaka-sensei said._

"Okaasan! Okaasan!" a voice screamed. She dropped her flowers and ran towards the sound. A small girl held on to a rock for dear life. There was a landslide, and she would fall down the cliff if Haruko didn't do something soon. Carefully, she walked over to the girl, dirt falling around her. Slowly, she crawled towards the rock.

"It's alright, I'll save you…" she said.

The little girl looked at her with red, teary eyes. She shivered and looked frightened. Haruko grabbed her hand as she almost slipped and fell. Quickly, she pulled her up and sighed, but soon after, they began to fall. The small girl screamed, but Haruko held on tight. She pulled out her kunai and stabbed the dirt, stopping their descent. She used her chakura to walk up the cliff carefully and get them to safety. The little girl hugged her as she sobbed tears of joy. They were both covered in dirt, and Haruko managed to rip her dress. A giant cut oozed blood down her leg.

"Nee-chan, you're hurt!" the little girl cried.

"Don't worry about me, just don't play around here…"Haruko replied smiling.

The little girl nodded and ran off. Haruko looked back to the cliff; she had an eerie feeling. She shivered as she stood up.

"I…can't help but think I've forgotten something important…"she thought.

_Fortunately, Kaizen stopped when he reached the cliff. Unfortunately, he skidded down into a cave in the cliff. Haruko stopped at the cliff and sunk to her knees._

"_Kaizen…Kaizen…KAIZEN YOU BAKA!" she cried._

_Suddenly, a bunch of Kaizen's clones ran in different directions. Haruko stayed in the same place; she knew they were fakes. Inside the cave, Kaizen cried as well._

"_I just wanted…I JUST WANTED TO APOLOGIZE! WHY ARE YOU BEING SO DIFFICULT?!" she yelled._

"_It's not your fault… If I didn't exist, we wouldn't be here…" he replied, just loud enough for her to hear._

"_Kaizen, without you, this world would be boring! Don't you get it? We want you to be with us. I just wish…you didn't hate me."_

"_Boring? Keh, who said I hated you? I'm just a wreck, so leave me alone!" Kaizen commanded._

"_You aren't a wreck! Don't put yourself down anymore! Just come back with me! Come back to your friends, Kaizen!" Haruko argued._

"_Tanaka-sensei, I think that you need to know something," Raisuke said._

"_Yes?" Tanaka-sensei asked._

"_Did you ever see his report? It was a forge by my parents. Trying to give Kaizen a normal life, unlike Sasuke long ago, Kaizen never knew. He was just four for god's sake. Ever wonder his last name? Well it's Uchiha." Raisuke said taking off._

_Tanaka-sensei blinked. He never knew such a secret existed._

"_So, are you coming? I have a bad feeling about this. He never knew about his true life, and he still doesn't know," Raisuke added._

_Tanaka-sensei followed him._

"_We'll find him and fix it," he replied with a smile._

"_Kaizen, I know if you try harder…if you stop being so distant all the time! Please, don't hate me anymore…" Haruko sobbed._

"_I don't hate you… I just…I just don't want to lose anyone else…" he replied._

"_You won't…unless you stay the same. I promise you…if you stop being so distant, things will change."_

_Kaizen went deeper into the hole._

"_Such a stubborn boy...that's why you'll never get a girlfriend... Stop acting so distant!" the words rang in his head._

_He suddenly climbed out of the hole as Haruko tried to descend to get him._

"_Kaizen, please…I want you to come back, too…" she said as she tried to grab him._

_He slipped trying to grab her hand as began to fall. He attempted to stop himself by forcing a kunai into the rocks, but he was unsuccessful._

"_Stinking world…What a life it turned out to be…" he thought as he fell to the ground._

_He fell unconscious, but luckily, he wasn't dead._

"_Haruko-chan!" Tanaka-sensei and Raisuke yelled to her._

_She was sliding down the rocks trying to get to Kaizen. She finally reached him and fell to her knees. The tears continued to fall down her cheeks and onto his body._

"_Kai-baka! I hate you for being so stupid!" she cried loudly._

_Tanaka-sensei and Raisuke jumped down behind her. They didn't say a word. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"What were you thinking? You could've been killed! You even ripped your new dress!"

Haruko's mother continued to yell at her; she wasn't listening at all. Her mind was elsewhere. She couldn't feel the pain from her wounds either. All she could think about was the memory that slowly creeped into her mind. The faces were still blurred, but she seemed to be crying over a dead body.

"What happened?" she wondered.

She couldn't remember everything, but it must've been sad. Two tears fell down her cheeks.

"Haruko, it can't hurt that much. You weren't upset before. Haruko? Haruko?" her mother asked.

Haruko began to cry harder. She couldn't stop the tears, as the memory became clearer and clearer.

"Baka Kaizen!" she cried as she stood up.

Her mother suddenly looked angry as Haruko headed for her room.

"She's still whining about that boy…" she thought.

_Kaizen slept soundly in his hospital room. Haruko's red, teary eyes looked at the ground as she followed Raisuke and Tanaka-sensei to his room._

"_Cheer up, Haruko. He's not dead, so you can hit him all you want," Tanaka-sensei said._

"_Uh-huh…"Haruko replied quietly._

_Raisuke sighed as he knocked on the door before entering._

"_Haruko-chan, are you coming?" Tanaka-sensei asked._

_Haruko sat next to door outside of the room. She couldn't face him, not yet. After what she did to him and what it caused, she could never face him again._

"_Haruko! Come in here! Stop acting like the sky is falling!" she heard Tanaka-sensei yell._

_She slowly peeked in the room. Kaizen looked at her; he didn't seem angry at all. His expression almost seemed…forgiving. She walked in slowly and sat down quietly. The room fell silent._

"_Gomen ne, Haruko-chan…" Kaizen said._

_Haruko looked up, a look of surprise on her face. Why was he apologizing to her?_

"_Minna, gomen ne…" he added._

"_All is forgiven, Kaizen. Just listen next time," Haruko replied._

_She smiled brightly and stuck out her tongue. Tanaka-sensei shot Raisuke a glance and smirked._

"_We'll just leave you two lovebirds alone then…" Tanaka-sensei said as he followed Raisuke out the door._

_Haruko blushed before moving a bit closer to Kaizen. She figured the space between them was a bit awkward._

_Haruko sighed. "Kaizen...I...I..."_

_"Don't worry Haruko-chan. no need to explain." Kaizen said softly. _

_"But...I said all those things...and..."_

_"Never mind those."_

_She got up and kneeled beside his bed, gently laying her head on the edge. "It's still my fault..." she sobbed._

_"No."_

_"I should have never joined this cell...all I do is bring trouble to others..."_

_"Hey, accidents happen," Kaizen managed a smile._

_Haruko looked at him with red, teary eyes. "Just admit it...you hate me..."_

"_N-n-n-no of course not, Haruko! I don't hate you…I..." Kaizen stammered._

_He didn't hate her; in fact, he was beginning to like her now. It was a bit unusual, but something about her made him happier than before. Although, she was a bit mean to him. While he was thinking to himself, Haruko stood up and began walking away._

"_I'm leaving…the cell… I wouldn't want anything else to happen…because of me…" she said softly._

"_Haruko-chan, wait! I don't hate you, I never did…" Kaizen replied._

_He suddenly hid under the blankets of the bed. He had to stop her from leaving somehow._

"_I really like you, okay? Just stay with us…please…" he blurted out._

_His face turned red as he hid under the blankets. Haruko stopped at the door. She looked back at him before running over and gently pulling the blankets from over his head. Her face turned a light red color._

"_You…you…you're lying to me!" Haruko exclaimed._

"_No, I'm really not! Look, I can't prove it…but I'm not lying to you… Just believe me…" he mumbled as he looked away from her._

_Haruko sunk to her knees; she didn't know what to say. The same person who was mean to her all this time really did like her._

"_Look, I know I'm not the best at being nice, but I'm trying. I'll change; I promise. Just give me a chance, alright?" Kaizen asked._

"_You promise?" Haruko asked._

"_Yea, I promise…" he replied._

_Haruko smiled at him._

"_Well then, I suppose I'll give it a shot," she replied._

"_Arigatou, Haruko-chan."_

"_Douitashimashite, Kai-kun."_

_Haruko began laughing._

"_What? What?!" Kaizen asked, but Haruko continued to laugh._

_"Aww...so cute!" Tanaka-sensei smiled as he stood in the door. _

_Haruko looked over to him and blinked. _

_"I told you she'd end up as your girlfriend, Kaizen..." he added._

_"Thanks for eavesdropping Tanaka-sensei." Kaizen said sarcastically._

_"I got that all on audio tape so you better keep your promise to Haruko, Kaizen." Raisuke smiled._

_Tanaka-sensei smirked as Haruko's face turned a deep red. She stood up, her cheeks puffed. _

_"Yea...you...you better keep your promise! Or else!" she replied as she walked out of the room._

_"Hai...ack!" he said as he tried to sit up. _

_"I forgot stupid bandages."_

_Tanaka-sensei laughed. "Sooo, how long are you stuck here?"_

_"Two days; a horrible two days!!!" Kaizen complained._

_"Don't worry, we'll make sure Haruko-chan comes to visit you..." Tanaka-sensei replied._

_Kaizen blushed violently after Tanaka-sensei spoke._

_Tanaka-sensei laughed. _

_"Raisuke, it's so cute isn't it? Our little Kaizen is in love!"_

_"Yeah, who would've known?" Raisuke laughed._

_"Well, I think we should let him rest for now. We can't do much without him but train..." Tanaka-sensei said. "Jya Kaizen."_

_"I forgot we can train." Raisuke laughed. _

_"WHAT? I'll miss training! Tanaka-sensei, you better keep me up to date on what you're doing!" Kaizen yelled back._

_"Yea, sure I will... you just keep thinking about your beloved Haruko-chan!" Tanaka-sensei replied. _

_Haruko followed them silently; her face continued to flush with blood._

"_Rai, could you come here for a second?" Kaizen asked. _

_Raisuke stayed behind as Tanaka-sensei pushed Haruko towards the stairs. Haruko left the hospital and began to head home._

"_Haruko-chan!" Tanaka-sensei asked._

"_Huh?" she replied._

"_Is Kaizen your first?" Tanaka-sensei asked playfully._

"_Actually, he isn't," Haruko replied seriously._

_She sat down on a nearby bench and looked to the sky._

"_The day I met you three, I was angry. My first love refused me. We broke up because he was older and he wasn't into me anymore. It was sad…but now that I think about it, I'm surprised I ever liked him. He's a pig, and he never cared about me. Still, I don't trust any guy with my heart, never have, and never will. Maybe Kaizen will change that…but don't count on it."_

_Tanaka-sensei laughed and sat next to her._

"_Haruko, you sound older than you look. You act like a grownup ninja, and then, at the same time, you still act like a kid. Can I adopt you? You are so cute!" Tanaka-sensei smiled at her and poked her hitai-ate that rested on her forehead._

_She blushed lightly as he hugged her._

"_Sensei, I have a family. Why are you acting so weird?" Haruko asked._

_Tanaka released her and just smiled. In this light, he looked a bit younger, and a bit cuter. Haruko shook her head as those thoughts entered her mind._

"_He's your sensei! He's old! Besides, you like Kaizen, remember?" she thought._

"_Well Haruko, I think Raisuke will stay with Kaizen tonight, so you're dismissed," Tanaka-sensei said._

_Haruko stood up and nodded in agreement. She waved good-bye and ran towards her house._

"She's been in there ever since she returned home."

"Why?"

"Because, she broke through the seal."

"What? How did she manage that?"

"There must be more to this boy than we thought. She must be…in love with him."

Haruko's mother and father looked to the door to her room.

"Maybe, you shouldn't be so hard on her, Michiru. She needs friends sometimes. Maybe they won't keep her from her training. Maybe we made a mistake," her father said.

"No! She doesn't need friends! I didn't have them, and I turned out fine. She's too young to be in love, as well. Why are you encouraging it, Ryou?" Michiru inquired angrily.

"Michiru, just try to see it her way, all right? She hates this, and she can't help wanting company. She's a very bright girl, and friends aren't going to change that," Ryou replied.

"No! If you think that way, she'll never learn. I never had friends when I was her age! My parents forbid it, and I turned out better than they expected. Therefore, if I had to do it, she'll do it as well!"

Michiru stormed away, leaving her husband behind. He looked to his daughter's door.

"Haruko, I won't allow this to happen to you. I love your mother, but I want you to be happy, too. If you want to go back to them, I won't stop you."

"Otousan, what's going on?" Haruko asked as she came out of her room.

She yawned before hugging him sleepily.

"Nothing Haruko, go back to sleep if you want. Dinner won't be ready for another hour or so. I'll get you then, okay?" Ryou replied.

Haruko nodded sleepily and walked back to her room.

"I love you, Otousan," she said.

"I love you too, Haruko," he replied softly.

He watched her close the door behind her and sighed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_Haruko woke up to an empty house once again. She sighed as she prepared herself for another day of training._

"_Haruko-chan, ganbatte kudasai!" she said as she looked in the mirror._

_Afterwards, she sat on her roof, waiting for her crazy sensei. She wondered why he said what he did yesterday._

"_Why did he ask if he could adopt me? That was stupid. I hope he was joking; it would be weird to live with him…" she thought._

_She waited a long time; at least an hour passed before she guessed he wasn't coming. She decided she'd visit Kaizen; they would look for her there when they were ready, she was sure of it._

"_Ohaiyo gozaimasuu!" Tanaka-sensei beamed as he brought a tray to Kaizen's room._

"_Sensei, some of us just woke up. Not so loud, please," Kaizen replied._

"_Ahh gomen nasai. Naa, where's Haruko-chan?" Tanaka-sensei asked he put down the tray. "I have ramen for her, I do."_

"_She's not with you?" Raisuke asked._

_Suddenly the door slammed open. Haruko stood in the doorway, panting._

"_You left meeee! You meanie!" she cried, closing the door._

_Haruko suddenly tripped and hit the table._

"_Oww…" she said as she sat up._

_Everyone began to stare at her bleeding forehead._

"_Uhh...Haruko-chan? Your forehead is bleeding, dear," Tanaka-sensei said._

"_What? Whaaaaaat?!" Haruko began to freak out._

_Tanaka-sensei grabbed her arm and sat her down. He took out a small first-aid kit and smiled._

"_Now, now, stop worrying. I have ramen for you," Tanaka-sensei replied as he cleaned up her wound and bandaged it._

_Haruko blushed as she sat there quietly._

"_Arigatou…Sensei…" she mumbled._

_Tanaka-sensei just smiled and handed her a bowl of ramen. Soon, everyone was finished eating._

"_Haruko-chan, don't you think that Kai-chan is so cute when he's injured?" Tanaka-sensei asked._

_Haruko blushed and looked to her empty ramen bowl._

"_Will you quit calling me cute? It's unnatural!" Kaizen yelled._

_Haruko looked at him innocently. Her face was red, but she smiled at him. He then retreated under his blankets, his face red as well._

"_I'm not cute…" he mumbled._

"_Come on, Kai…" Raisuke said, trying to pull the blankets off._

_Haruko stood up and walked over._

"_Kaiiii-kun, don't act like that, please? Come out of there…" she said, gently tugging at the blankets. _

_Kaizen came out and sighed. Haruko kissed him on the cheek and ruffled his hair._

"_Aww! So cute! Kai-chan had his first kiss!" Tanaka-sensei clapped._

_Haruko glared at him and threw a kunai towards his face; he easily dodged it, smiling as usual._

"_I think Tanaka-sensei is crazy…or on drugs…" Haruko whispered._

_Kaizen nodded in agreement._

Dinner was quiet as usual. Haruko couldn't look at her mother, but her father smiled to her to rid her of the uneasiness she felt. After dinner, Haruko went outside. She played her small wooden flute as she looked to the stars. Her father suddenly came outside, clapping as she finished.

"Otousan…?" she was surprised as she looked back.

"Haruko, you've become even better. I didn't realize how smart and beautiful you had become. I know…we aren't around much, Haruko. I apologize…" he said as he sat beside her.

She smiled at him.

"Otousan, I'm fine. I can live on my own…"

"Haruko, you miss your friends, don't you?"

Haruko suddenly looked down; her smile began to falter.

"Otousan, I can't forget. You took me from my home, my friends. I don't belong out here. I…I wanna go home…back to my real family, back to Tanaka-sensei…Kuro…Raisuke…and…and…"

Haruko burst into tears; she couldn't control her sobs any longer. Her father hugged her gently and kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Haruko. We just…want what's best for you…" he whispered.

"Oi, Haruko-chan! I thought you were over that whining thing?" a voice suddenly yelled.

Haruko looked up; she knew that voice anywhere.

_The rain fell hard. The thunder boomed loudly overhead, drowning out her screams as they attacked her. She couldn't defend herself; they continued to beat her up until she could barely move._

"_Stupid Haruko-chan, you suck as a ninja!" one of the boys yelled._

"_Yea, just give up! You'll never be a good ninja, no matter how skilled you are!" the other yelled while kicking her one last time._

_As they left, Haruko began to cry. She couldn't move; there was no one to save her. She was in pain and her clothes were soaked. As she closed her eyes, she heard a noise; it sounded like footsteps. Haruko opened her eyes to see a black cat sitting in front of her. It mewed and licked her wet cheeks._

"_Kuro…neko?" she asked._

_The black cat just mewed. Haruko smiled weakly and closed her eyes._

"_Just what I need…a cat…" she said._

_The black cat licked her cheek again as she seemed to lose consciousness._

_Haruko woke up in a hospital bed. She was bandages almost everywhere, but at least she didn't ache. She couldn't move around much; she felt too stiff. The black cat was beside her, sleeping peacefully near her pillow._

"_Are you happy? Now we're even," Kaizen said as he moved next to her bed._

"_Kai…zen…" she sobbed._

_Kaizen sighed. He somehow managed to make her cry._

"_Haruko…don't cry. It's all right. You'll be fine," he replied._

"_But I'm…I failed as a ninja…" she replied._

"_No, you haven't, Haruko. You just…" Kaizen didn't know what to say._

_He didn't' want to make her upset, but he couldn't say anything._

"_You just need more training, Haru-chan," Tanaka-sensei came in the room with a bunch of flowers._

"_Haru-chan, you scared me! I thought you'd go back to heaven after that! You're lucky Kaizen showed when he did; you were worse than he was. That was some fall you had, wasn't it?" he asked, smiling as usual._

_Haruko managed to sit up. Her eyes watered as Raisuke waved to her._

"_You…you guys…I…I…thank you…so much!" she cried._

_The black cat woke up and rubbed against her arm._

"_Kuroneko… Are you going to be there, too?" she asked as she held the cat._

_It mewed and purred. Haruko smiled through her tears._

"_We're all together…Kuro, Raisuke, Tanaka-sensei, and Kaizen. We'll always be together… I'll never be alone again…."_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Kaizen smiled at Haruko as he stood in front of her. Haruko rubbed her eyes; she couldn't believe this was happening. Raisuke walked up to Kaizen, panting. In his arms was Kuro, and right behind him was Tanaka-sensei.

"Haru-chan, my angel, I missed you so much!" Tanaka-sensei hugged her forcefully as she was about to stand up.

"You left me alone with these horrible children! Kai-chan is so mean to me!" he whined, giving her a sad face.

Haruko smiled; Tanaka-sensei was the same as ever.

"Who are you calling horrible?" Raisuke asked.

"Yea! It's your fault, Sensei, and stop calling me 'Kai-chan;' it's embarrassing!" Kaizen added.

Haruko began laughing; Kaizen and Raisuke looked at her as if she was insane.

"You guys haven't changed at all. I guess I couldn't expect much since it's only been a month," she said, walking up to Kaizen.

She kissed his cheek and hugged him. He blushed, and Raisuke snickered. Then, she grabbed Kuro and snuggled her. Kuro mewed and purred; she licked her arms as well.

"I missed you too, Kuro!" she cried.

Her father suddenly stood up.

"Otousan, these are my-" Haruko started.

"I know who they are, Haruko. Isn't funny how they showed up right at the right time?" he asked, smiling just like Tanaka-sensei.

Haruko looked at him, blinking. She then understood.

"You…you did this?" she asked.

"Don't tell your mother. I couldn't allow you to suffer any longer, Haruko. Your mother…she means well, dear, but she doesn't know any other way," her father replied.

Forcefully, she hugged her father; he laughed as he almost fell back.

"Shikari Ryou, I'm surprised you remembered where I lived," Tanaka-sensei said.

"You've lived in the same place forever, Tanaka Kyoya," Ryou replied. "You haven't changed a bit. I didn't expect them to give you a cell assignment."

"Hey! I can handle these kids. Your daughter is an angel. She's the best at everything. Can I adopt her from you? Maybe I could just borrow her, please?"

"Kyoya, be serious. You're never serious around kids, are you?"

"Nope, he's never serious around us…" Raisuke replied.

"Hey! I am serious!" Tanaka-sensei exclaimed.

"Haruko, take your friends somewhere, okay? I'd like to speak with your sensei alone," Ryou said.

Haruko grabbed Kaizen's hand and nodded as she ran off with him. Raisuke followed close behind. As soon as they were out of sight, Kyoya lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth as he sat down on the stairs to the door.

"So, how are you going to explain Haruko's 'disappearance' to your wife?" he asked.

Haruko stopped as they reached a small lake. The moonlight reflected off the water, giving her legs an unearthly glow as she neared it. She slipped off her shoes and sat on a rock, dipping her feet in the water.

"Haruko-chan, what've you been doing all this time?" Kaizen asked.

"Nothing much; I saved a little girl one day. She almost fell off a cliff. There aren't any kids my age here. I've missed you guys…and I want to go home with you…" Haruko replied.

Kuro looked up to her master. She jumped out of Haruko's arms and ran off. Raisuke looked at Haruko as she began to get up.

"I'll get her! You two stay here," he said, running after her.

He knew what was going on. Kuro wasn't a stupid cat, and Raisuke knew he wasn't needed right now. Haruko sat back down and sighed.

"Kuro still runs away from me…" she said quietly.

Kaizen moved from his spot and sighed as he neared Haruko. Her eyes were filling with tears, and he didn't want her to cry.

"Haruko, it's not that Kuro doesn't like you. Trust me; she's always staring at your picture and stuff. She probably just wants to play with Raisuke. She does this all the time," he replied, trying to cheer her up.

Haruko looked at him; tears fell down her cheeks as she smiled. He smiled at her and hugged her gently.

"It's not the same without you, Haruko-chan. We've missed you… I've…missed you, Haruko," he said.

Haruko embraced him harder as more tears fell.

"Kai-kun, I've missed you so much! I hate it here!" she cried.

"It's alright; we're going to find a way to bring you home with us," he replied as he released her.

They looked into each other's eyes deeply. Everything was silent and peaceful, and neither of them knew what to say. Haruko looked down into her lap as she began to blush. Kaizen gently touched her chin and brought her face up to his before gently pressing his lips against hers. Raisuke and Kuro were secretly watching from behind a tree. Raisuke smiled as a tear fell down his cheek. He was happy that Kaizen was finally happy.

"Haruko-chan is the best thing that's ever happened to him," he whispered before walking away.

Haruko's face reddened more before Kaizen broke the kiss. She couldn't find anything to say. Her voice stopped working; her mouth was dry. Kaizen just smiled and sat beside her.

"Raisuke, I know you were spying! Get back here!" Kaizen yelled.

Raisuke suddenly appeared in front of them. Haruko still sat with her mouth open, unable to speak.

"Kaiiiiiizen, what did you do to her?" he asked, shaking her gently.

"Don't blame me! I'm just that great of a kisser," Kaizen replied.

Haruko shook her head and kicked Kaizen in his head.

"Why did you do that?" she asked.

"Ow! Why did you do that?" Kaizen asked.

"That was mean!"

"No, what I did was nice. What you did was mean!"

"Kai-baka! BAKA BAKA BAKAAAA!"

Haruko began to walk away when Raisuke grabbed her arm.

"Kaizen, apologize. Haruko, you too," he commanded.

"Gomen nasai," they both said.

"Good, now stop fighting," he commanded again.

They both folded their arms and looked away from each other. Raisuke laughed and sat down. Kuro rubbed against Haruko's legs, begging to be picked up. Haruko picked her up and smiled.

'Kaizen was right…" she mumbled.

"What about me?' he asked.

"Nothing, Kai-baka!" she exclaimed.

"Hey, why are you calling me 'baka' all of a sudden?" he asked.

"Because you're a baka, baka!"

"I am not! I'm smarter than you!"

"In your dreams, baka!"

Raisuke began laughing again. Haruko and Kaizen stared at him.

"What is with you?" Haruko asked.

"You two will never change. You fight over stupid things, yet you love each other. I will never understand how that works," Raisuke replied, twirling a kunai between his fingers.

Haruko looked to Kaizen, who looked back at her. She began laughing also. Kaizen folded his arms.

"Kaizen, he's right, you know…" Haruko said.

"Whatever…" Kaizen replied.

"Aww, don't be like that!" Haruko said as she hugged him. "I'm sorry…"

Kaizen sighed as she released him.

"I accept," he replied.

Haruko gave him a surprised look. She was expecting an apology in return. She sighed and sat down, letting it go. Kaizen laughed.

"I'm sorry, too. Are you happy?" he asked.

"No," Haruko replied.

"What do you mean no?!" he exclaimed.

Raisuke began laughing again. This would go on for a while, but still, he was glad to hear it. He missed Haruko because of the way she made life better for them. Something about her, he couldn't place it, but something about her made living easier, and without her, life seemed boring and uneventful, especially for Kaizen. He hadn't seen him smile like that in over a month. Raisuke was glad Kaizen was happy again. The Yamamaya team was back.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Haruko, Kaizen, and Raisuke walked back to the house. They stopped as they witnessed a scene going on. Haruko's mother, held back by her father, seemed to be yelling at Tanaka-sensei.

"Michiru, calm down! They just came to visit Haruko!" her father exclaimed.

"I don't care! They want to take my child from me, I can tell! You won't get her, Kyoya! Not again!" Michiru yelled as she tried to break free.

"Michiru, we'll bring her back every once in a while. Just please allow me to train her; she needs to be with kids her own age, and she was doing great under my care," Kyoya replied.

"No! I refuse! I refuse to allow you the pleasure of stealing my daughter! You can have her over my dead body!" Michiru yelled.

"You don't mean that, Chiru-chan," Kyoya replied, smiling.

Michiru finally managed to free herself from Ryou, Haruko's father. She turned to Haruko, who fell to her knees, sobbing loudly. Raisuke tried to calm her while Kaizen angrily walked towards Michiru. Michiru stepped back slightly.

"Hey! You aren't a good parent, you know. Haruko is miserable here! Your methods don't work! Haruko is one of my best friends. She's the greatest friend anyone's ever had, and she doesn't deserve to be alone just because you were!" Kaizen yelled.

Michiru looked at him, shocked to hear these things from a young child. She looked to her daughter, who seemed to be a bit calmer now. She looked to Kyoya; she looked to Ryou; she looked back to Kaizen before walking over to Haruko and kneeling in front of her.

"Haruko, all this time I…I just wanted the best for you… When I was your age, they did the same thing to me, and they told me it was the best thing for me. They said that friends would distract me; I was alone for most of my childhood. Haruko, you're different from me, and yet, you're the same. In you, I see myself as a child; I see the same sadness and wanting that I felt, and I'm just as cold as my mother was. Please Haruko, please forgive me."

Michiru began crying as she suddenly hugged her daughter. Haruko ceased her sobbing in shock. Her mother hadn't hugged her in a long time. She didn't know what to say or do, except hug her mother in return. Ryou walked over to them and smiled. Kaizen ran over and began laughing. Raisuke nudged him in the stomach and gave him a "this isn't the time" look. Kaizen stopped as Michiru stood up. She wiped her eyes and walked to Kaizen and Raisuke.

"Which one of you is Kaizen?" she asked, regaining her composure.

Kaizen raised his hand slightly; he wasn't sure what she would do to him. Michiru just smiled brighter and hugged him. Kaizen was embarrassed, and everyone could see it on his face as Michiru released him.

"You two, take care of her. She's a bit of a handful, but I'm sure you can handle her. Kaizen, you better not hurt her. Treat her well, or I'll come after you," she said.

Haruko stood up and looked to Kyoya and her father.

"Otousan, Tanaka-sensei, she…she's…and…I…and…" she said, confused.

"Haruko, just know that your mother and I support you every step of the way," Ryou answered, hugging her gently.

She smiled as her released her and walked over to Kaizen and Raisuke.

"You guys, I can't go back with you,' she said.

Everyone looked at Haruko with surprised expressions.

"Why the hell not?" Kaizen yelled.

"Kai-chan, watch your mouth," Kyoya sang.

"I'm tired; we'll have to go back in the morning. You know I don't like traveling at night!" Haruko exclaimed as she walked back to the house.

She turned around and stuck out her tongue before Kaizen got angry enough to chase after her. Raisuke followed them into the house. Michiru giggled before Ryou held her gently and kissed her.

"I'm glad you see it my way," he whispered.

She smiled and suddenly looked at Kyoya, who looked ready to start laughing.

"Kyoya, if I attacked you, what would you do?" Michiru asked.

"Hmm…I don't know. Why don't you see and find out?" Kyoya answered.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe it is; maybe it isn't…hmmm…"

The next morning, Haruko woke up the earliest. She saw the children playing below her as she sat on her roof.

"Neechan is it true?" a small voice asked.

Haruko jumped down and landed next to the small girl. She kneeled in front of her and smiled weakly.

"I'm leaving, yes. But, I'll come back, so wait for me, okay?" Haruko asked.

The little girl forcefully hugged her as she started to cry.

"My name is Kikuhara Satsuki. Please come back, neechan!" she sobbed.

"Satsuki, my name is Shikari Haruko. I'll be famous one day, you know. I promise you, I'll come back just for you," Haruko replied.

Satsuki let go of her and looked up, blinking. Haruko smiled back and nodded to confirm her questioned expression.

"Haruko-chan, I want to be like you when I grow up!" Satsuki cheered before running away.

Haruko smiled and threw a kunai behind her without looking. Kaizen dodged it and disappeared. He reappeared behind her and tried to kick her in the face, but she ducked and tried to kick his feet from under him. He flipped back and caught her foot just as she stood up and tried to kick him in the face. She growled and kicked him in the stomach, forcing him to let go. She flipped backwards and took out two kunai. Kaizen jumped up and did the same. Both of them were panting, waiting for the other to make their move. Haruko stepped forward slightly; Kaizen prepared to attack. She moved forward as if she would sprint towards him; then suddenly, she disappeared. Kaizen looked around, but didn't see her. He suddenly jumped back as the two kunai flew at him. He threw his two kunai in the air, but they just came back down. Haruko suddenly tackled him from behind. They rolled on the ground before Haruko ended up on top of Kaizen. She smiled through her heavy breathing.

"I win again. That's twenty to eighteen, Kai-baka," she panted.

He angrily threw her off and sat on the ground with his arms folded. Haruko crawled to him, sitting in front of him. He refused to look at her. Raisuke came outside, trying not to laugh as he watched Haruko crawl around Kaizen, trying to get him to look at her.

"Rai-kun, he's mad at meee! I just beat him, and he's mad at me!" Haruko whined.

"That's because he's a sore loser. Try doing what I told you," Raisuke replied as he scratched Kuro behind the ears.

Kuro stood up, mewed, and ran to Haruko. Haruko laughed and put Kuro up to Kaizen's face. She licked his lips and mewed. Kaizen's eyes opened and widened. He jumped back and spat on the ground.

"Gross! What was that for?" he asked.

"That's…not what I meant, Haruko…" Raisuke said.

"Kaizen, stop being a sore loser. I think that Haruko should be praised. You can be hard to beat sometimes."

"Kai-kun, are you really mad at me?" Haruko asked in her sweetest voice.

Kaizen looked at her and sat down beside her.

"I'm sorry…for being a sore loser," he mumbled.

"All is for-" Haruko started.

"Haruko-chan, my beloved daughter!" Tanaka-sensei yelled.

"Kyoya, she's still my daughter! You can't have my angel!" Ryou exclaimed.

"Yes, Haruko belongs to us, so don't adopt her while we're still alive," Michiru added.

Haruko stood up and ran to them, Kuro following close behind.

"Okaasan, Otousan, I'll miss you…" she said.

"Then, you should come back home as often as you can. Kaizen, Raisuke, you two are welcome here anytime," Michiru replied.

Haruko hugged both of her parents. She smiled her brightest as she let them go.

"Kyoya, I want to hear about everything," Ryou said.

"Don't worry, I'll fill you in on everything," Kyoya winked.

Haruko looked up to the sky as she walked with Tanaka-sensei, Raisuke, Kaizen, and Kuro. She looked back often, as if expecting her parents to be right behind her, but they weren't. She was leaving them, not forever, but for a while. Her wish came true; they did save her from the nightmare, and it became a happy reality that felt like a dream. Her mother finally supported her, and she could be with her friends, her family away from home. Tears of joy fell down her cheeks as she stopped walking. Kaizen looked at her and ran back to her while the others walked on.

"Haruko, let's go home, okay?" he asked.

She cried harder as she forcefully hugged him. He smiled and kissed her. She stopped crying and blushed violently, releasing him quickly.

"I knew that would shut you up," he laughed.

"Kai-baka! I'll get you!" she yelled.

Kaizen started running as she chased him. They ran past Raisuke, Tanaka-sensei, and Kuro.

"Raisuke, she's crazy!" Kaizen yelled.

Raisuke and Tanaka-sensei laughed. Things between them hadn't changed at all. Now that everyone was back together, they were ready for more adventures. Haruko, no everyone could see that many adventures lie ahead, and they couldn't be more excited.

A new home, a new family, a new beginning…that's what awaited Shikari Haruko, and that's exactly what she wanted.

Owari


End file.
